Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has dumped the party which gave him a platform to be Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007, stating that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has lost touch with Nigerians and can no longer be redeemed.
It will be recalled that Atiku also left the party in 2007 to contest the presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) before returning to the PDP in 2009.
He has updated his twitter handle to include the emblem of All Progressive Congress ,APC), his new political party.
Below is the full press statement, announcing the decamping of Atiku from PDP to APC.
Press Statement by Atiku Abubakar, GCON, Turaki Adamawa and former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria on his Resignation from the PDP and his Joining the APC.
In 2006, as a result of my firm stand in defence of our constitution and our democracy, my supporters and I were pushed out of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, a party that we worked tirelessly with other compatriots to build as a vehicle to restore democracy to our country. We later returned to that party in 2009 when a new leadership of the party and the country promised a new direction, a direction of inclusiveness, of internal democracy, of an end to impunity, adherence to the rule of law and respect for the dignity of members and Nigerians.
Sadly, however, those promises have not been kept. In addition, the PDP continues to be beset with many crises, mostly leadership-induced crises. It has since lost touch with Nigerians and efforts made by many well-meaning members and stakeholders to bring it back to the vision of the founders have been rebuffed. To demonstrate the seriousness of the challenges and bring public attention to it I and some other leaders and stakeholders staged a walkout during the party’s last convention in Abuja.
As I speak, most of the issues that led to that walk-out are yet to be addressed. Many founding members of the PDP, I included, continue to be marginalized and excluded from the affairs of the party. For instance as a former Vice President, I am by virtue of the PDP constitution, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees and its National Executive Committee. However, I am not invited to the meetings of those organs nor consulted on their decisions, apparently because I dared to exercise my right to contest in the party’s primary election for a chance to be its flag-bearer in the 2011 elections. We have, therefore, concluded that that party cannot be redeemed. In short the PDP has abandoned Nigerians, the very people who gave it life and many electoral victories.
More worrisome though is the danger posed to the continued existence of this country by this culture of impunity and arbitrariness. We continue to have threats from officially protected political extremists. Increasingly our people are recklessly being divided along the lines of religion, ethnicity and region for political gains. Our history and that of many other countries in Africa and Eastern Europe ought to teach us that this is very dangerous and must stop.
We can and we must do better. Our people deserve better.
It is against this background that we should understand the visit by the leaders of the APC and their invitation to me to join hands with them to save the country. Consequently, I have been consulting my supporters and associates, my family and friends for the past few weeks. My decision may not satisfy some of my friends and associates. In the end, however, I have to put the interest of our country first. This country has done so much for me personally and it deserves all that we can do to help rebuild it and serve our people better.
Following this extensive consultative process, I have, therefore, decided to cast my lot with the APC, a party of change committed to the improvement of the lives of our people and to the continued existence and development of Nigeria as one indivisible country. My resignation letter as a member of the PDP will be delivered to the party tomorrow.
This is the right decision. As in 2006 it is the struggle for democracy and constitutionalism and service to my country and my people that are driving my choice and my decision. Let me emphasize that this is not about me. We have to have a country before people can aspire to lead it, but as it is today we may be losing this country. That is not acceptable.
I encourage my political associates and friends to register and join the APC once the registration exercise commences, so that together we can change this country for the better.
The process of building a nation, of securing and deepening democracy is indeed difficult. And it is not a lineal process. There would be alignment and realignment of political forces. There would be ups and downs and zig-zags, triumphs and challenges. Amidst all that, patriots must remain focused and do what has to be done to save and build the country and serve our people better.
That is what I have decided to do. I will do all within my God-given powers to help the APC win elections all over Nigeria and bring true change to our country and its long-suffering people.
Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar, GCON
(Turaki Adamawa)
Former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Why are u people running from PDP to APC ? after all is only a party change but same altitudes !!!! pls all u politician should change ur altitudes and performed on ur mandates.
ReplyDeleteDis suggests dat if ur house is not in order u will abandon ur family.all dis interest here nd there,u ppl should remember dat 6fit is waiting 4 all of us and after dat judgement
ReplyDeleteAtiku will come back after APC primary. You left the party in 2007 and came back hoping to retain your position in pdp. Oga you cannot have your cake and eat it. U were a liability to the PDP and you will be sam for APC. Bye bye Atiku. We celebrate your exit.
ReplyDeleteFarewell
ReplyDeleteHungry for power by all means. Nothing to do with serving the masses rather the bank account and the ego
ReplyDeleteAtiku, if you think anyone is surprised, you are in for a rude shock. WHY? Because it has always been in your character. And you will do it again before 2019.......LOL
ReplyDeleteWho cares the same criminals running to so called APC. May God help us you guys can never win.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure if it is possible for this so called APC party to sell Nigeria they will do but, thanks be to God, because some people are praying for Nigeria 24 hours therefore, their counsel shall not prevail rather it will turn to foolishness.
ReplyDeletehahahaha, I dey Laugh.
ReplyDeleteAtiku Nigeria salvation through APC, joke of the century!
ReplyDeletePOINT OF CORRECTION TO ATIKU, U DID NOT DUMP PDP , RATHER PDP DUMPED U LONG BEFORE NOW
ReplyDeleteTrue talk. Does he hope to be APC presidential candidate? The GJ will win
DeleteDe next party left 4 u 2 decamped 2 iz RIP!...Hahahaaaa!
ReplyDeleteIf u like go to hell fire where u belong,nobody cares,The whole of u criminals in APC will be put to shame come 2015...All this rubbish was just bcos a Northerner is not the person sitting dere as the president.....U Northerners are the people dat kept dis country under dis condition,bcos,u people have bee ruling dis country without having anything good to impact in dis country........GEJ is just trying to correct de mess u people left dis country with,yet,u guys doesn't want him to get peace of mind and focus on how to Re-build the country u people left under heavy corruption...If u like.join APC 100 times,Nigerians knows u by ur name, U want to Privatized the whole country again and buy under ur name..Thief
ReplyDeleteAtiku you are welcome
ReplyDeleteThis APC is nothing but a dustbin that accommodates all sorts of rogues that have been filtered out from other political parties especially PDP. If Rev. King finds his way out of prison he will surely be registered with APC because he has more clean hands than many of the members in this APC party. The only way Nigerians will take you serious is if you are going to present a presidential candidate who will not be more than 45years of age but if it is any of you rogues count Nigerians out because all of you have security reports respectively .Again such presidential candidate cannot come from your families` background because almost all of you have stolen Nigerian money more than you can account for, The sign is already their in you , you register a party last year being 2013 and you want to takeover the leadership of the country in 2015 and that is why even those who have failed this country in so many ways can be your members without your corrupt leaders saying no , From all indications this shows you are going to be worse than PDP as a party or are you going to be PDP in another shape in leadership? 5000 people from pdp will join apc tomorrow then what difference are you going to show us if you will not end up being the same person you have been(Ego sum gui sempe fui)
ReplyDeleteIf ATIKU is running for his course,he is on his own oooooh.but tell him.we know his new party is full of criminals.bcos ao will u jugde an organisation led by TINUBU and BuHARI.organisation of Criminals.
ReplyDelete